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The desperate Swazi Regime employs Apartheid Tactics-bombs activists homes Press Release 10 June 2010 This week we were alerted to the callous act of the Swazi Regime, not the first one and not the last one given the levels of desperation from the ruling elite. This act and many others are reminiscent of the apartheid S.A. tactics, and Swaziland has learned and continues to implement the teaching of their “friendly “apartheid South Africa. Comrade Alex Langwenya’s house was bombed. Within ten minutes the notorious highly specialised unit of Swazi Royal Police; Lukhozi was in his house yet they were not called by the family. The question to ask is “how did they (the police) know that they will be needed at that time. They arrived and arrested the victim and his family. No effort was made to find and chase after the bombers. What kind of policing is this that arrests victims of crime, and not the perpetrators? A series of bombings have been reported in Swaziland over the past two weeks. None of the victims were arrested. At none of these were the police so close to the scene and at none did they arrest the victim. Now that the victim is a PUDEMO activist, he and his whole family is arrested. From the information currently available he is even denied the rights to talk to a lawyer. We therefore ask the question: *Was this a crime or a well orchestrated attempt at sowing terror and fear among activists and their families and to buy sympathy for the police to make arbitrary arrests?* Also worth noting is that immediately after that the illegal Prime Minister of Swaziland announced new measures in parliament which includes the introduction of no bail. Clearly this is aimed at crippling the liberation movement. We are also conscious of the fact that this is a critical year for the liberation forces as it is the year of the general congress of the Swaziland Youth Congress, PUDEMO and the SUDF. The Swazi government wants to create an environment for arresting activists and frustrate the progress of these organisations in the name of terror. This is a full implementation of the king’s order to kill pro democracy activists. The bomb was clearly of special capacity as evidenced by its destruction. The pictures indicate that the device used can be only in the possession of either the army or the police. We are seriously of the view that the police knew there would be a bomb explosion at that house hence their “prompt” arrival. But sources inside Swaziland confirm that a real explosive was used to attack Comrade Alex Langwenya’s house. This is the case of attempted murder; the Regime is not content with murder of Sipho Jele, the victimisation and constant harassment of freedom loving activists in Swaziland. But this is symptomatic of a government that is fragile and threatened by the rising tide of people opposed to its undemocratic rule, abuse of human, trade union and civil liberties. It is barbaric and callous of police to bomb its own citizen or to murder them. But none of us are surprised or fooled by these acts of Swazi Regime. After all this is an illegal regime and the armed forces have no mandate from the people instead have allegiance to the King and his Tinhkundhla system. The bombing of Langwenya’s house follows a series of raids on houses of others activists’ i.e. Vincent Ngcongwana- SFL General Secretary’s house was broken into and was robbed of his laptop on the Sunday the 30th May. No arrests have been made. Bhekie Dlamini and Themba Swayoco Lubombo Regions activist’ were raided last Wednesday 2nd June. Ndlamela Dlamini and Sydney Nyembe former trade unionist and former SWAYOCO activists were raided on Friday the 4th June and George Hleta of SWAYOCO Hhoho Region was also raided. The bombing of Alex Langwenya’s house and subsequent arrest of his wife and brother is an escalation of the Regime’s war against its own people. When will SADC & AU wake-up to the reality that “it is not business as usual” in Swaziland. Do we need a repeat of Rwanda and other callous states for African leaders to call Swaziland to order? We call on all activist to step up the Campaign for a free Swaziland and further commit ourselves to fully support PUDEMO, SWAYOCO and SUDF in calling and demanding A Swaziland that is democratic and free of oppression. For more information contact: Ntokozo Mbhele on 072 370 0974 Ntokozo@publicservices.co.za Or Philani Ndebele on 076 942 3565 philani@asc.org.za

Latest News - Article

The desperate Swazi Regime employs Apartheid Tactics-bombs activists homes
Press Release 10 June 2010

This week we were alerted to the callous act of the Swazi Regime, not the first one and not the last one given the levels of desperation from the ruling elite.

This act and many others are reminiscent of the apartheid S.A. tactics, and Swaziland has learned and continues to implement the teaching of their “friendly “apartheid South Africa. Comrade Alex Langwenya’s house was bombed.

Within ten minutes the notorious highly specialised unit of Swazi Royal Police; Lukhozi was in his house yet they were not called by the family. The question to ask is “how did they (the police) know that they will be needed at that time. They arrived and arrested the victim and his family. No effort was made to find and chase after the bombers. What kind of policing is this that arrests victims of crime, and not the perpetrators? A series of bombings have been reported in Swaziland over the past two weeks. None of the victims were arrested. At none of these were the police so close to the scene and at none did they arrest the victim. Now that the victim is a PUDEMO activist, he and his whole family is arrested. From the information currently available he is even denied the rights to talk to a lawyer.

We therefore ask the question:
Was this a crime or a well orchestrated attempt at sowing terror and fear among activists and their families and to buy sympathy for the police to make arbitrary arrests?

Also worth noting is that immediately after that the illegal Prime Minister of Swaziland announced new measures in parliament which includes the introduction of no bail. Clearly this is aimed at crippling the liberation movement. We are also conscious of the fact that this is a critical year for the liberation forces as it is the year of the general congress of the Swaziland Youth Congress, PUDEMO and the SUDF. The Swazi government wants to create an environment for arresting activists and frustrate the progress of these organisations in the name of terror. This is a full implementation of the king’s order to kill pro democracy activists.

The bomb was clearly of special capacity as evidenced by its destruction. The pictures indicate that the device used can be only in the possession of either the army or the police. We are seriously of the view that the police knew there would be a bomb explosion at that house hence their “prompt” arrival. But sources inside Swaziland confirm that a real explosive was used to attack Comrade Alex Langwenya’s house. This is the case of attempted murder; the Regime is not content with murder of Sipho Jele, the victimisation and constant harassment of freedom loving activists in Swaziland. But this is symptomatic of a government that is fragile and threatened by the rising tide of people opposed to its undemocratic rule, abuse of human, trade union and civil liberties.

It is barbaric and callous of police to bomb its own citizen or to murder them. But none of us are surprised or fooled by these acts of Swazi Regime. After all this is an illegal regime and the armed forces have no mandate from the people instead have allegiance to the King and his Tinhkundhla system.

The bombing of Langwenya’s house follows a series of raids on houses of others activists’ i.e. Vincent Ngcongwana- SFL General Secretary’s house was broken into and was robbed of his laptop on the Sunday the 30th May. No arrests have been made.

Bhekie Dlamini and Themba Swayoco Lubombo Regions activist’ were raided last Wednesday 2nd June.

Ndlamela Dlamini and Sydney Nyembe former trade unionist and former SWAYOCO activists were raided on Friday the 4th June and George Hleta of SWAYOCO Hhoho Region was also raided.

The bombing of Alex Langwenya’s house and subsequent arrest of his wife and brother is an escalation of the Regime’s war against its own people. When will SADC & AU wake-up to the reality that “it is not business as usual” in Swaziland. Do we need a repeat of Rwanda and other callous states for African leaders to call Swaziland to order?

We call on all activist to step up the Campaign for a free Swaziland and further commit ourselves to fully support PUDEMO, SWAYOCO and SUDF in calling and demanding A Swaziland that is democratic and free of oppression.

For more information contact:
Ntokozo Mbhele on 072 370 0974 Ntokozo@publicservices.co.za
Or Philani Ndebele on 076 942 3565 philani@asc.org.za